sweet dreams

the sound —
jingling bells of an ice cream truck —
was a ‘Children, start your engines’ Olympic trigger
for every kid in earshot

giggle-laced chatter broke mid-word —
“Joey got a new model-”

Shooooom!
Big eyes
mouths hangin’
bike rubber burnin’
minds breakin’ out in clever fever
‘Hmmm, beg Dad,
he’s in the middle of his nap…!’

sure ’nuff
growls and yawns

“Leave me alone will ya!”

“Awww, Dad….!
The truck’s almost…”

bedsprings creakin’
grunts and mumbles
half-sleep wrestlin’ with stubborn pockets, ’til
“Boy, all I got is a doll-”

snatch
thanks
& halfway downstairs
before last letters caught air

full tilt dash was frozen
screeching to nonchalance,
easing past kitchen radar fun trap
‘she’s on the phone!’

the screen door was a catapult
launching porch leaps shaming Wright brothers,
the block filled with flocks of sweet dream angels

as foot hisses over grass
thunder from above
“Boy, that’s a dollar!!
You betta bring me a Nutty Buddy…”

grins blinded with enamel sunshine
halos to siren howls of
“Ice cream! Ice cream!!”

Like always,
the truck kept rolling
extending the race
’til Jeff’s bike blew past
leanin’
legs churnin’
spokes hot rod thrumming balloons front & rear
but Sarah was faster
                     barefoot
                     laughing so hard she could scarcely breathe

Slam! Slam! Bdddr-bam!!
little hands and bodies hit the wish wagon
a primal rhythm on frozen drum

The only answer to “What’ll ya have?”
was wheezes and fussin’
                       shovin’,
&                    wild hands waving
faster than lips and tongues could speak
’til the closing bells
&       gradual migration walk
mixing skips and baby steps
fresh fudge faces
licking greedy
and    slow
at the same time

there were trades
and sharing —
slow eaters teasing
fast eaters conning
while some slurped wrists and fingers
tracking trickles
spawned by an August afternoon

“You betta get your butt home
b’fore your daddy’s cone melts!” Sarah shrieked, giggling

’Didn’t hear their razzin’ as I ran
lickin’ elbows while dodging dogs
&                                    a baby carriage
careful not to fall cuz…

Dad was on the porch
funnin’ with the hose
pretending to water the grass
“Gimme that!” he grinned
“..and rinse your face and arms
before the sheriff comes out…”

The screen door slammed
as he rounded the corner
“Where’s your father?
Did he tell you to water the grass?”

“Well, he gave me the hose…”

“Are you watering you, or the lawn!?
Hurry up, dinner’s ready…”

The screen door creaked again
and I had to ask
“What’s for dessert…?”

“You are a pitiful child….
Peach cobbler, okay?
Cobbler, and…”

“..and…?”

“..and ice cream, so come on…”

the door slammed
the hose fell
and before my foot hit the first step
Dad scooped me up in one arm
       winked
&    whispered

“Heaven done smiled on both of us!”

 

by

jamal
ali

© 20 september 2002